When Abdulrhman Mesfer Alqarni first recognized that billions of Saudi riyals were being improperly disbursed from the state treasury, he could have filed a report and moved on. Instead, the senior government executive embarked on a methodical campaign that would reshape how Saudi Arabia manages public funds and establish new standards for government transparency across the Gulf region.
As an expert and executive advisor in several governmental and semi-governmental entities, Alqarni has spent more than a decade transforming how Saudi Arabia’s government operates, one digital platform at a time. His work spans from preventing financial irregularities worth billions of riyals to designing systems that have become models for other Gulf nations.
The scope of his influence became clear in 2024 when the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing achieved first place nationally in Vision 2030 targets, a performance in which the executive systems established by Alqarni played an active role.
Building systems that prevent corruption
Alqarni’s most significant contribution may be the Dual Disbursement Prevention principle, an initiative that identified and stopped improper payments from the state treasury. The project began in 2018 when he noticed patterns of individuals receiving more money than they were legally entitled to from government coffers.
“The initiative resulted in recovering large amounts of money to the state treasury, more than what was spent on implementing the initiative itself,” Alqarni explained, describing work that eventually gained royal approval in 2020 and formal ratification by the Royal Court in 2023. The financial recovery exceeded the Program’s operational costs, earning praise from the Council of Ministers.
The success of this initiative led to broader reforms. In 2024, Alqarni authored the Illicit Enrichment Jurisdiction Framework, which was approved by the Council of Ministers and represents a significant step in aligning Saudi Arabia with global transparency standards. The framework provides legal mechanisms for investigating unexplained wealth among public officials, closing gaps that previously made such investigations difficult.
Digital transformation across the government
While preventing financial irregularities grabbed headlines, Alqarni’s digital transformation work has profoundly affected how Saudi citizens interact with their government. In 2019, he designed and implemented the “Amlak” Digital Platform, which documents and manages state real estate assets. The platform, endorsed by the Ministry of Finance, provides transparency in government property management that previously relied on paper-based systems.
His e-Oversight Program, launched in 2017, represents his most ambitious digital initiative. The proactive governance model monitors government procurement and financial transactions in real time, helping prevent corruption before it occurs. The World Bank has praised the system, which has been implemented across multiple government platforms and serves as a model for other developing nations.
Alqarni also described how national platforms and initiatives—such as the Digital Transparency initiative—were launched in collaboration with the e-Government Program and presented at the International Anti-Corruption Conference in 2018. The system allows citizens to track their applications in real-time while providing government entities with precise service requirements.
Recognition beyond Saudi borders
Alqarni’s work has gained international attention, particularly in anti-corruption circles. He played a key role in representing Saudi Arabia through his impactful initiatives and dedicated efforts and contributed to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s convention working group. His initiatives have been featured in official G20 publications, including the COVID-19 response compendium highlighting innovative governance approaches during the pandemic.
In August 2023, he received the first-ever GCC Ideal Employee Award for public integrity, a recognition that required authentication from multiple agencies, including the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Gulf Cooperation Council secretariat. The award acknowledged his role in advancing transparency and governance standards across the Gulf region.
His recent recognition with a 2025 Global Recognition Award further validates the international significance of his contributions to public sector innovation. The award acknowledges his technical achievements and role in demonstrating how emerging economies can lead to government transparency and digital transformation. For a public servant who began his career focused on data management, Alqarni has proven that systematic thinking and persistent execution can reshape entire government systems, creating lasting change that extends far beyond national borders.
